BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION, AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
MONTHLY MEETING THIS SUNDAY, JULY 10th, 2016
2:00 PM HOMEWOOD LIBRARY – 1721 OXMOOR ROAD 35209
NEXT MEETING SUNDAY, AUGUST 14th, 2016 THE SECOND SUNDAY
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
If you missed the June club meeting you missed part 1 of an interesting video entitled Twenty Feet From Stardom. That is about how close some back-up singers were from being the one with a hit record. But as we saw in the video to make a really great sound a great back-up voice is needed to add the spice to the lead singers vocals. Stay tuned for part 2, the conclusion, of the video. With our record show just weeks away our July meeting will be spent preparing the postcards that we send out . This is our # 1 advertising method. We send out nearly 1500 postcards as well as hundreds of the postcard sent via email. We need all hands on deck this Sunday to help label and stamp the postcards. Be there if at all possible Thanks.
We will also go over more preparations for our August record show and the HOF induction and concert. Still lots of work to do and volunteers are needed. And as always there will be boxes of vinyl for sale. Hopefully you can find those recordings you have been searching for.
SNACKS: It’s Gary’s turn to bring the snacks and refreshments. Next month it will be David S’s turn. Remember, if you are the person scheduled to bring the goodies, you will be responsible for taking home any snacks and drinks at the meeting the month before. Thanks.
32ND ANNUAL BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS RECORD & CD SHOW
The weekend of August 20th & 21st will be our annual record & CD show. 9 AM – 5 PM on Saturday and 10 AM – 4 PM on Sunday. On Friday, August 19th we begin setting up at 9 AM. We hope to open up for the dealers to begin their setup process around noon. As things begin to settle down and the dealers are in place the remainder of that day, until around 9 PM will be our member and dealer time for buying and selling. Please be respectful of all the dealers as they are getting their area prepared. Make sure they are ready to sell before you start searching through their goods. Any person who is not a dealer or member can be a part of the day providing they join the club. $25 for a year or $50 for lifetime membership.
There will be forms for new members and they will receive a name tag. All members should have name tags during that day so we will know who is in the building. We have printed new membership cards for all lifetime members and if you haven’t gotten your yet you can pick it up at the show. If you are a lifetime member and you find that a card has not been printed for you, please let me know so I can get one for you.
Volunteers will be needed in these areas: (A) Friday setup. (B) Security check before we leave on Friday & Saturday night. (C) Door workers for Saturday and Sunday. (D) Tear down and clean up on Sunday afternoon. There is more information coming next month concerning our HOF induction and concert Saturday night and an update on providing food, snack, and refreshments at the show. Don’t miss it. VOLUNTEER!
And don’t forget our HOF induction ceremony and concert Saturday night. Beginning at 6:30 we will have the induction of our new class and then around 7:30 the concert begins. Our four Birmingham legends that are to be inducted will all perform backed by the Birmingham Legends Band. Joing the band to perform a couple of songs will be our other inductee, Roger Clark, a drummer for over 40 years for many big name acts. We will also have our WSGN Good Guys inducted and during the 6:30-7:30 time a question and answer and discussion between the guys and gals will happen.
One special announcement, Roger Clark’s wife, Sherry ‘St. John’ Clark will be inducted earlier that day into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. Sherrie has been in the radio business for over 40 years and works at WXFL in Florence, AL. Congratulations to Sherry.
WE NEED A LITTLE BACKGROUND MUSIC
If you were at the June club meeting you saw the first half of a documentary entitled Twenty Feet From Stardom. It was full of good info on who some of those voices were that we heard backing lead vocalist on many of the hits of the 50’s & 60’s. What I thought I’d do this month is mention some of the people who played the instruments on many, many of the same hits plus so many more. The guys and gals providing the background music, those great riffs we remember, those guitar, piano, horn, or drum solos we recall.
Let’s start out west with a group of musicians that today are known as The Wrecking Crew. There is some dispute as to that being the ‘official’ name of the musicians because some same they were called The Clique before Wrecking Crew. Anyway, this group of musicians provided music for acts which included Sonny & Cher, Jan & Dean, The Mamas & The Papas, Frank & Nancy Sinatra, The Righteous Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, The Association, The 5th Dimension, Bobby Vee, The Grass Roots, Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Rivers, Neil Diamond, Tommy Roe, The Carpenters, John Denver, and it goes on and on but I don’t want to leave out the fact that this group also backed The Crystals and The Ronettes, and were responsible for giving us that ‘Wall of Sound’ we got from Phil Spector. The group were also ‘ghost players’ on The Monkees first two LP’s, The Byrds ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, and The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds LP.
Some notable members were Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Hal Blaine, who was the drummer on over 140 Top 10 hits, and then there was Carol Kaye, who was the groups bassist but was an accomplished guitarist and played on Ritchie Valens’, ‘La Bamba’. Some of you are familiar with drummer, Earl Palmer. He was there as well. You can hear him on the original hits such as ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’, ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’, ‘You Send Me’, ‘Donna’, ‘Summertime Blues’, ‘The Little Old Lady From Pasadena’, and Ike & Tina’s, ‘River Deep and Mountain High’ This group was jammed pack with great musicians and they were, as you can tell, the guys and gals that gave us that beat and sound we enjoyed to go along with the vocalists. Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as ‘sidemen’ in 2000 and then the entire crew were inducted in 2007. The documentary, The Wrecking Crew came out in 2008 so maybe we’ll have to get a copy and play it at a meeting just as we are playing the one about backup singers.
I had plans on covering some other musicians but with all the credentials of the Wrecking Crew I ran out of room so we’ll continue with more studio session groups in the September newsletter since I have a special article in production for August. Hope you’ll enjoy it.
BRC RADIO – HEART AND SOUL OF ROCK AND ROLL
Don’t forget to check out the radio shows the club offers on our website. We now have over 80 shows with over 1300 different songs.
HEY! HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE?
James Hunter
WHEN DID YOU HEAR THIS ONE LAST?
Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
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